Find My iPhone App Saved My Son

Less than a month ago, my son misplaced his iPhone 4S and didn’t realize it for a few hours. When he alerted us to the phone’s disappearance, he immediately used his MobileMe FindMyiPhone app on his iPad and the computer (easier to read view).

He locked the phone ASAP so the thief couldn’t use it. There is also the “wipe” functionality which many phones, including Windows phones, have so all data can be erased. This is a great security tool for anyone to have. This app saved my son from me being completely angry with him.

It was a stressful 18 hours at the Bush family homestead. An expensive phone was missing. We were able to track it down with the MobileMe Find My iPhone app (http://itunes.apple.com/app/find-my-iphone/id376101648) where it narrowed down its location to a handful of homes in a nearby neighborhood. Lesson that we learned and will not repeat is that it’s probably not the safest thing to go knocking on doors at night asking if the residents have seen your missing iPhone.

The saga continued. The following morning we looked at Find My iPhone and the phone had changed locations. Thankfully, it was still nearby so we went to the street to where the GPS pointed us. We decided that this location was not safe to go knocking on the door. Later that morning the phone changed to yet another (nearby) location. We narrowed it down to a small retail area and entered a small, no name phone store on whose outdoor sign was written “….-Unlock.”

That was the key! We entered the tiny no-name store and had someone at home click on the app’s “Play Sound” and we heard our homing beacon loud and clear! We told the employee that it was our phone and we looked behind the counter. It was my son’s iPhone and the screen saver with Justin Tuck’s photo (NY Giants player) confirmed it. The woman said that a customer brought it in to be unlocked. Customer my foot! How does she spell “I-L-L-E-G-A-L or T-H-I-E-F?”

Lucky for her and her “customer”, we didn’t contact the police. We just wanted the phone back. My son had the box with the ID to match what was in the iPhone. Pretty exciting!

What else is to be learned from this wild experience of ours? Have a tool or app to lock, wipe and locate your device. Security of one’s data (names, phone numbers, photos) is essential whether it’s personal or corporate data.

On a final note (new to this article), I am sorry that I didn’t call the police when we retrieved the iPhone at the no-name store. I am confident that this unlocking of stolen phones happens on a regular basis and should be stopped. However, a colleague told me that a good thing has come from this saga in that I have been able to relate a true life story to my readers and make them aware of the dangers as well as tools to protect their data and safety. Thanks Jerry.